School board sets process for filling latest vacancy

Pam Green (right, with board treasurer Mark Przeslawski) was sworn into the Farmington Board of Education Tuesday, then promptly resigned so she can take the seat she won in the November election.(Photo: Brad Kadrich | Hometownlife.com)Buy Photo

Stop if you've heard this one before: The Farmington Public Schools Board of Education has to fill a vacancy created by a resignation.

Pam Green, who won a spot on the board in the November election, didn't have to wait to claim a seat, although it wasn't the seat she won last month.

Confused yet? It's not really that complicated.

It began in October, when former board President Jim Stark suddenly resigned. The board took applications from residents interested in replacing Stark, a list of applicants that included a public schools activist, Jennifer Garland, and current Trustee David Turner.

After interviewing a dozen people, board members became divided over those two finalists. When they couldn't reach a decision last month — and following state law — they kicked the can over to the Oakland Intermediate School District.

But instead of choosing one of those two — Turner actually withdrew his name from contention — OISD chose Green, who had just finished as the top finisher in the Nov. 6 general election.

"I didn't even know they were considering it," Green said. "They said their hope was to bring it back under local control. Their rationale was that I was the top vote-getter."

Green, a retired former administrator for the district, was one of two people elected Nov. 6 — newcomer Zach Rich was the other — to replace Turner, who didn't seek re-election, and Mark Przeslawski, who lost.

In order to assume her elected seat Jan. 1, Green had to resign her current seat, which she did Tuesday night, less than an hour after she was sworn in. Her resignation is effective Dec. 31.

To fill this latest vacancy, board President Terri Weems announced Tuesday the board will once again take applications from interested residents. The applications, which are available on the district's website (www.farmington.k12.mi.us) are due by Tuesday, Dec. 18.

Those who applied the last time and are still interested "can notify the board of their continued interest," Weems said. "They do not have to apply again."

Turner said he will not put his name back into contention. Przeslawski, who with Turner was sitting for his final board meeting, said he will renew his application.

Once the application deadline passes, the board will schedule interviews. Weems said she hopes to schedule those interviews, which will again be open to the public, "in the first couple of weeks of January."

Przeslawski said he hopes the interview process will be different. Because the interviews were conducted individually that last time, he pointed out, candidates who had their interviews later in the process had a chance to hear the questions put to other candidates, giving them a potential advantage.

"I would recommend the format change," Przeslawski said. "It's potentially unfair, as it went along, that (candidates) were able to see the questions."

The person appointed to fill the seat Green is vacating will serve through November 2020. The remaining term of the seat, which expires in 2022, will be filled at the regular school board election in November 2020.

Contact Brad Kadrich at bkadrich@hometownlife.com. Follow him on Twitter: @bkadrich.